Durbin: decision to oppose Gorsuch not a close call

WASHINGTON — In advance of a vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) outlined his reasons for opposing President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge Neil Gorsuch. Senator Durbin reiterated concerns about the nominee’s long record of ruling in favor of powerful interests over working Americans, students with disabilities, and victims of discrimination. He also noted that Judge Gorsuch failed to answer questions on issues important to the American people and manifest his independence from the Trump Administration and the dark money organizations that hand-picked him to be the nominee. Over these objections, the Committee advanced the nomination 11-9.  

“I laid out my expectations in a February speech on the Senate floor on what I needed to hear [from Gorsuch]. I asked [the nominee]: ‘Can you demonstrate that – as a Supreme Court Justice – you would uphold and defend the Constitution for the benefit of everyone, not just the corporations and the privileged elite? Can you demonstrate that you would be an independent check on this president or any president? Can you show that you’re prepared to disappoint the president who chose you and the right-wing groups that have taken credit for your name coming before this committee?’

“I said, ‘you need to be forthright about what your values are.’ Well, today is opening day of the baseball season a few blocks away from here, and unfortunately, for those four questions, Judge Gorsuch went 0 for 4.”

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Video of Durbin’s remarks to the Senate Judiciary Committee is available below and here. 

Audio of Durbin’s remarks to the Senate Judiciary Committee is available here.

Last month, the Senate Judiciary Committee held its confirmation hearing on the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch. Over the course of four days, Senator Durbin questioned the nominee and outside witnesses about Gorsuch’s principles and rulings in key cases. He pressed Gorsuch on his controversial dissent in the case of Alphonse Maddin, who was fired after refusing to stay with his broken trailer in life-threatening weather conditions, and his ruling denying a child with severe autism access to the educational services to which he was legally entitled under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). 

Durbin has served on the Senate Judiciary Committee for 18 years, during which he has considered the nominations of four current Supreme Court justices. In January, Senator Durbin held a courtesy meeting with Judge Gorsuch and discussed the importance of judicial independence in the Trump Administration.

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